1. Field of Invention
The invention concerns a system connector consisting of a first housing half and a second housing half matching it, the two halves being snappable and lockable to each other via a locking device and in which at least one contact module is arranged in both housing halves, which includes socket-like and/or pin-like electrical contact elements.
Connectors are required to connect or separate lines. The lines can be used to transport electrical current or also for other media (for example, for optical radiation, like light guide). Modular connectors are generally used in machine building and plant design to generate, evaluate or convey control signals directly to the unit being controlled within a connector. System connectors for evaluation of control signals can be equipped with additional electronic components, like switching relays or circuitry.
2. Description of the Prior Art
System connectors known to one skilled in the art, for example, from DE 202 05 787 U1 or EP 0 860 906 B1 are generally made from two housing halves. One housing half then is a cable outlet in which the corresponding housing half forms the connection area of the system connector. The individual housing halves can be equipped with so-called contact modules and thus individually adjusted to the corresponding use area. A housing half of EP 0 860 906 B1 has indentations to accommodate the individual contact modules into which the snap-in tabs of the contact modules can snap for their fastening in the housing half. The current direction within the system connector generally runs for safety reasons from the socket to the contact pin. The current-conducting side is therefore formed from the socket side. Wiring (socket or pins in the connection area) of the system connector is therefore dependent on current guiding in the use area. The individual contact modules of the system connector are laid out so that they have a socket and opposite pin contact side. If sockets are present in the connection area of a housing half, contact pins are found in the connection area of the other (matching) housing half. Ultimately the two housing halves of the connector are contacted to each other so that the opposite contact modules engage one in the other and thus produce an electrical contact with each other.
However, during use it was found in the connectors of the prior art that prewiring of connectors also entails certain drawbacks. Before assembly of such connectors a contact pin side and socket side must be established. Consequently, in the construction of a plant a supply of differently wired connectors must always be available.